Spring cleaning your medicine cabinet

Chances are, if you open up your medicine cabinet, you’ll find some old or leftover medication ―which can cause more harm than you realize.

Here are some tips to get you started on doing some spring cleaning:

– Check the dates. Discard any item that is beyond the expiration date. Many medications lose their effectiveness after the expiration date. Some may even be toxic. For prescriptions, follow the one year cut off rule for discarding. See the note below about medication drop off.

– Discard any items that have changed color, smell, or taste and any unmarked containers. Always keep medications in their original containers so that you can easily recognize each one.

Many local police stations and pharmacies have medication drop-off boxes, so you have a safe way to dispose of pills, liquids, inhalers, creams, over-the-counter meds, pet medications, and nebulizer solutions. Learn more at monadnockvoices.org.

Learn about proper storage and use of medications, medication assistance programs, and questions to ask your pharmacist and doctor, at a FREE event, Your Medicine Cabinet and You on June 13, 2019.